Monday, June 8, 2009

Summer Fun.

Summer Fun!!!So summer is going to be here before we know it! All my kids will be home with me starting Thursday afternoon and I can't wait!!!!

However I know i need to have a plan in place of what we can do to make it a great summer!

Here are some (a lot) ideas that i hope you all enjoy. Let me know what you think of this list or if you have anything you would like to add.

*Check for cheap or free movie showings at local theaters.*Library story time for the younger kids.*Join the summer reading program at your local library.*Plant a small garden. (This will give the kids something to take care of and look forward to- something growing!)Or at least a few potted plants.*Make a fun lunch. Everyone be in charge of a part of it (IE: dessert, drinks, etc.) and take it to the park and eat and play Frisbee.*Spend a day the beach. (around here we will go to Clover Beach in Linden, and hopefully make it to the U.P or the west coast to play)*Take some white T-shirts and decorate them outside.*Unplug the T.V other than for maybe a rainy day movie :)*Slip-n-slide is always a favorite.*Family bike rides.*Make lemonade from lemons.(Watch for a great recipe to come!)*Go get ice cream :)*Make Ice Cream in a bag directions here :) http://ribbonrockstarhairbows.blogspot.com/2008/06/favorite-ingredients-friday-ice-cream.html* Go to the children's museum on a hot day or rainy day! Love the Flint Children's Museum. They are also going to have $1 days this summer :)*Go Bowling http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/*Paint outside on a canvas*Side walk chalk art*Play with your food! Food Coloring and whipped cream *Pick Berries and learn to make Jam*Swing*Water Balloon Fights :)*Eat Fruit A LOT of it!*Put the baby pool at the bottom of the slide*Play with bubbles outside lot's of bubbles*sparklers*Have a bonfire with friends*Play with a water hose*Swim*play in the sand*Decorate flip flops with fabric. Buy inexpensive flip-flops and dress them up with fabric pieces. You start at one end and work your way to the middle, then do the other side. You take a piece of fabric about 7 inches long and 1 inch wide, fold it in half, wrap it around the strap, double tie it, and there you are! You try to get them as close together as you can. My daughter loves doing this. It's easy, fun, time-consuming, and really makes a cute pair of flip-flops in any color you'd like. Great birthday party idea, too."*Feed the ducks at a pond*Teach your kids how to bake a family recipe*Go on a boat ride*Drink iced coffee*Have a drawing contest on the sidewalk with chalk.*Make home-made play dough*Go to a farmer's market*Go on a nature hike/ photo exploration- letting your kids take pictures of cool things they find outdoors.*Plan a camping trip *Buy a disposable camera for your kids and let them record their favorite summertime fun.*Keep a summer journal of places visited.*Have a bubble gum blowing contest.*Pitch a tent in the backyard and have a "camp out".*Visit a local farm and pick your own veggies.*Have a treasure hunt.*Learn about a new place and have a meal based on that area.*Go to the zoo*swim*Picnic with a blanket on the kitchen floor on a rainy day.*Visit a water park. Or an aquarium.*Star Gaze*Lay on a blanket, look up at the sky and try to figure out what the clouds look like (animals, etc.).*Build a sandcastle.*Cook dinner for your local Ronald McDonald House.*Run (or walk) a race.*Go to the Drive-In.*Have a root beer float dessert night.* out your favorite color of nail polish and sit out on the deck or patio painting toes, giggling and just being.*Actively do nothing. Absolutely nothing.*Print some pictures and decorate plain frames with odds and ends found in the house.*Pack up a lunch and hit some local state parks. Hike along the trails or just relax in the cool shade of the trees.*Rent a projector , hang a white sheet in your backyard and presto- a "drive-in" movie.*Bring a trash bag to a local park and clean up.*Support a great cause with a lemonade stand.*Volunteer at a local animal shelter.*Write a letter or send a postcard instead of using email :)* Play Dress up.*Color*Make a meal for someone who just had a baby, adopted a baby or had surgery*Make cookies and take to friends*Wash the car outside with the hose and sponges*Go to crossroad village* http://geneseecountyparks.org/online_calendar.htm Select the park you want to see events for and it will give you a summer schedule some really great FREE activities!* Go feed ducks at a local pond.* baseball* soccor*play @ a local park

Found some more ideas in a mag this afternoon:*Learn a new skill ~ check out some videos or books at the library (or borrow from a friend) on how to knit, quilt, cook, give a massage, etc. *Treat yourself to a pantry spa: invite a friend or two over and create a day of pampering with honey, oatmeal, avocadoes, lemon, even beer! Go to life123.com and type "pantry spa" in the search box and you'll find recipes and instructions.*Start a photo project: an album? Scrapbook? etc.*Make a playlist for someone special ~ pick out some music and make someone's day!*Take a factory tour ~ I think we have some chocolate/candy factories within an hour drive of here. *Set up a game tournament ~ board games, video games, card games...whatever!*Volunteer ~ shelters, hospices, food pantries or soup kitchens, other community events

So some of these sound more "adult" oriented but I'm sure they could be modified for children/families too! :) Yay for summer!

About Me

I am a wife to an awesome man of God and an amazing singer, songwriter, and overall amazing musician! I have 3 beautiful children. Madalynne Noelle is 6 , Connor Benjamin is 3 and Ellianna Rejoyce is 1.
We live a full and happy life. I'm so blessed to stay at home with them. The only way I could do it was thru my love for crafting!